The chip manufacturing industry is extremely complicated. Here are two of the most common ways workers are being exposed to chemicals.

Solvents

Solvents are widely used in electronics for cleansing, stripping, degreasing, operations, encapsulation, and as solders. These are activities which are defining the work day for many workers in Silicon Valley. Solvents are also the cause of a large portion of workplace hazards and exposure problems in the industry. The following have been chosen because of their frequency in the industry.

Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Benzene (benzol) - High fire hazard

• dermatitis
• central nervous system effects including headache, dizziness, nausea, convulsions, coma, death.
• irritation to the eyes and upper respiratory tract
• anemia
• permanent damage to the bone marrow, including leukemia
• possibly causes changes in the genetic material (chromosomal abnormalities)

Xylene(xylol, dimethylbenzene) - High fire hazard

• dermatitis
• central nervous system effects including dizziness, staggering, incoordination, drowsiness, and unconsciousness
• nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and abdominal pain
• irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
• inflammation or bleeding of the lungs, or " pulmonary edema", in which the air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid
• menstruation problems

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons

1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform)

• central nervous system depression including dizziness, incoordination, drowsiness, unconsciousness, and even death when repeatedly exposed to large limits.
• mild kidney and liver damage after severe exposure
• irregular heartbeat
• skin irritation even though not absorbed necessarily from the skin

tetrachloroethane(1,1,2,2-tetrachlorethane)

• dermatitis
• central nervous system effects including tremors,headache, a prickling sensation and numbness of limbs, loss of kneejerk reflex, and excessive sweating
• paralysis of muscles of the hands and feet due to periphal neuropathy
• tremors of hands and eyelids
• nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain
• liver and kidney problems
• blood changes including possible anemia

Glycols

ethylene glycol (glycol, EG, glycol alcohol)

• central nervous system effects followed by respiratory and heart failure.
• abnormalities of the blood forming tissues
• kidney and brain damage

methyl collosolve

• effects on the blood and nervous system
• damage to the liver and kidneys
• brain disease (*toxic enceophalophany)
• anemia
• headache, drowsiness, sluggishness, and weakness

Gases

The industry uses many potentially dangerous gases. Gases are found in ion implanters, diffusion furnaces, expitaxial reactors, etc. Gases are also used in quality control to detect flaws in electronic components. According to an industry journalist, many semiconductor diffusion furnaces are "all too likely to explode." So the exposure can be over a long period of time, or from a short blast.

Arsine

• eye irritation and damage
• nausea, vomiting, thirst
• headaches, dizziness, drunk feeling
• shortness of breath
• change on heartbeat
• skin cancer
• abdominal pain
• jaundice
• blood in urine
• severe liver, kidney and heart damage
• miscarriage late in pregnancy

Hydrogen Chloride

• extreme eye and skin irritation and damage
• extreme irritation and damage to the breathing passage
• fluid in lungs
• headaches

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